


Scorched

by TheTacticianAlchemist



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Blood, Burning, Chrobin - Freeform, Death, F/M, Fire, Torture, crossposted on chrobinprompts, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:38:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4607088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTacticianAlchemist/pseuds/TheTacticianAlchemist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Robin and Chrom both get kidnapped by Gangrel and tortured to get information out of them. Bonus points if one of them has to watch the other. Bonus bonus points if one of them dies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scorched

**Author's Note:**

> This was so much fun to write. I wish I'd done a couple things differently, like maybe including "Marth." Maybe I'll go back sometime and rework this.
> 
> I haven't had this much fun since the childbirth prompt.

One of the guards shoves Robin into a filthy cell, and she doesn't even try to escape before the cell doors slam shut. Already she's bruised and bleeding, exhausted from the battle earlier that day and the fight to stay alive when Plegian spies were kidnapping her and Chrom. She's in no condition to force her way out of the prison, especially not when the guards are tossing her unconscious commander into the cell across the small hallway.

"Pathetic," one of the guards says with a derisive chuckle as he locks up Chrom's cell. One of the other men eyes Chrom much too closely for Robin's liking, but she keeps quiet when she notices the other Plegians watching her. Instead of making an action that might seem hostile, she goes to the poor excuse for a bed and sits on it. She doesn't take her gaze away from the men, though.

"King Gangrel doesn't want us to touch them until he has a chance to," one of them says a bit nervously, and Robin realizes he's the youngest, a teenager at best.

He's met with words like "Shut the fuck up, kid" and "Nobody asked you," but the men start to shuffle back toward the stairway. Robin watches them leave.

()()()

Telling time in the dungeon is impossible, but Robin probably sits beside the cell bars for half an hour before Chrom stirs awake. He groans and grabs at his head, keeping his eyes squeezed shut for a moment.

"Chrom?" Robin grabs the bars of her cell and leans as far forward as she can. "Don't move too fast. I think--"

At the sound of her voice, Chrom tried to sit up, but the movement causes his face to turn a pale green and he turns over and starts to vomit.

When he finishes expelling the contents of his stomach, Chrom drags himself to the closest wall and leans against it. He looks up as best as he can and seeks Robin out with his unsteady gaze.

"Robin," he says, and for the first time the corners of his mouth lift up. "You're..."

Her stomach feels like ice. "Shh," she soothes. "You need to rest."

"Okay," he says without complaint, then closes his eyes.

()()()

Despite herself, Robin falls asleep at some point, but the sound of harsh laughter startles her awake.

"Princey Chrom of Ylisse!" Gangrel cackles, his boots clicking against the stone floor as he strides in front of Chrom's cell. "Finally awake, are we?"

Robin stands to get a better view. Chrom looks up at Gangrel, vague recognition flickering in his eyes.

"I've been wondering just how I should welcome you," Gangrel continues, flourishing his hands. "I've been thinking long and hard...and then I realized! I should give you a welcome gift. So..."

He snaps his fingers, and the sound of footsteps start to come from the stairwell.

The stench of death comes as well.

The guards from before wear disgusted but submissive expressions on their faces as they come into the hallway. Between the four of them, they carry a long bundle wrapped in green robes. Gangrel signals to them, and they toss the body onto the ground, and the motion causes blonde hair to spill out.

Robin doesn't have a good view of the body, but Chrom does.

His unfocused gaze falls on Emmeryn's body. It takes a moment for the scene to register to him, but then his face turns red and he starts to shake.

"Chrom!" Robin snaps, but he doesn't heed her and instead stumbles to his feet and snatches the cell bars, nearly slamming his face against them.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he screeches at Gangrel. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

The king of Plegia scoffs and makes a show of inspecting his nails as Chrom screams and screams. "What a loud whelp you are. You're giving me a headache."

With a flourish of his cape, Gangrel turns for the stairs and signals to his men. The guards scurry after him, leaving Emmeryn's body to start festering on the ground.

"Do you hear me, Gangrel?!" Chrom tries to follow the king within the confines of his cell, and he leans heavily on the bars of his cage. "Do you hear me?! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Gangrel only laughs, and then the slam from the door closing at the top of the stairs signals his departure.

Chrom keeps screaming for several minutes, and Robin watches, unable to stop the flood of tears from leaving her eyes. In the dim light she can see the wet tracks on his cheeks.

Finally, Chrom stops and sinks to the ground. He rests his forehead against the cell bars. He trembles.

"Chrom," Robin says, and she sounds too quiet in comparison to his fit.

He makes a small movement, but doesn't look up at her.

"Chrom," she says again, her voice thick. "I'll get you out of here. I promise you that. You'll be free to end this war and bring peace."

She waits for some sort of confirmation that he's heard her. Too long a moment passes, and her face falls. She sits down, leaning against the wall. She doesn't look at her commander and friend, nor at Emmeryn's body.

"Us," Chrom chokes out, his voice raw.

Robin's gaze darts to him. His face is up, just barely, and his blazing blue eyes meet hers.

"Both of us leave or neither of us do."

She watches him for a moment, then smiles softly. "Okay."

()()()

Hours later, two of the guards come down the stairs. One--the teenager from before--holds two bowls, while the other man carries a set of keys. The man doesn't bat an eye at the body lying in the dungeon hallway, but the boy stares at it.

"Don't take any risks with Princey," the man says, glaring at Chrom. Chrom glares right back, but has the sense to keep still in the corner of his cell.

The man opens Chrom's cell, and the teen puts one of the bowls on the floor before the man closes and locks the bars again. Chrom still doesn't move, only glares.

The guards cross the hallway, and Robin sits up on her knees and grabs the bars. "Sir?"

Chrom's gaze darts to her. She ignores him.

The man pauses in the middle of unlocking her cell. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I-I know I might not be able to get out of here," she says, continuously making and breaking eye contact with the man. Her voice wavers. "But for g-good food, and maybe some blankets...I'll do anything."

She hesitates, then takes off her coat and sets it in her lap. She peers up at the man through her lashes.

He whirls his head around to the teen. "Do you want a turn with 'er?"

The teenager goes pale and shakes his head.

The man snatches the meal from the teen. "Then get outta here, kid," he snaps, and the boy utters a quick assent. He glances at Robin, but then scurries out of the dungeon.

The guard wears a disgusting grin as he enters the cell and closes the door behind him. He sets the bowl on the ground and puts the cell keys in his pocket.

"Stand up, pretty girl," he says, and Robin swears that she can hear Chrom growl.

The man doesn't notice, and Robin stands up, holding her coat like a child with a blanket. The guard grabs her cheeks, turning her face to inspect her.

He moves in close to her lips, and Robin knees him in the groin.

The man doubles over, and she grabs his arm and twists him onto the ground, then kneels on his arms. Robin loops the sleeve of her coat around his neck, pulling tight against his windpipe. He struggles, his face turning red and purple, but Robin doesn't relent until his whole body goes limp.

Robin digs through his pocket to find the keys, then stands and throws on her coat.

"Gods." Chrom stands up as she unlocks her cell, then hurries to do the same to his. "I can't believe you just did that."

Robin swings open the door and grins. "I told you I'd get us out of here. Better to do it sooner rather than--"

Chrom pulls her into his chest and wraps his arms around her.

"Don't do that again." His voice is quiet, rough. "I don't want...I don't want to see you hurt."

Their close contact causes Robin's heart to beat faster; she can feel the beat of it against her chest, and she can feel his, too. "I had it under control...but okay."

He lets out a sigh. "Good." He pulls away, but his hand goes to hold hers so he can lead her out. But then he stops short.

"Chrom, we can't take her," Robin whispers, squeezing his hand.

He stares at his sister's body. She still almost seems asleep.

"...I know," he says at last, his voice broken, then hurries up the stairs, Robin at his heels.

"As little noise as possible," she whispers at the door. "We don't know where we are. We need to get to the closest exit, even if it's a window."

Chrom nods, giving her hand one last squeeze before letting go. Robin nods back, finding herself wanting to say something that so far she's always left unsaid, but thinks better of it and instead opens the door just enough to poke her head out.

She meets gazes with the young guard.

His eyes widen, and Robin throws the door open to rush at him. He stumbles backward, and Robin thinks she has him within reach, but then he regains his footing and darts out of the way.

“P-prisoners!” he yells. “The prisoners--!”

Chrom tackles him to the ground, but by then it’s too late; other shouts can be heard all around. Robin swears and grabs Chrom’s arm, not even caring about the guard anymore. Together, the lord and tactician run down the hall, turn the corner, always on the lookout for an escape route--

“My, my, what do we have here?”

They stop short, Aversa standing in their way.

“His Majesty told me not to touch you,” she drawls, pulling out a tome and licking her lips. “But it seems I’ll get a chance to play with you before I stuff you back in your cages, hm?”

()()()

“You--you BASTARD!”

Robin feels as if she’s struggling through sand. She groans, her body heavy, her head hurting. Everything is dark.

“I’ll--I’ll kill--!”

Her eyes snap open at the screaming. Her head hangs, and she realizes belatedly that she sits in the middle of the floor of her cell, her arms shackled with chains above her head. Her limbs ache.

“This is what you get for your little escapade, Princey!”

A loud thwack resonates through the dungeon, and Robin lifts her head.

Chrom sits much the same way she does, though his torso is bare. Blood soaks his skin and remaining clothing, the liquid seeping from the gashes on his back. Gangrel, a whip in hand, stands beside him.

“Beg for your life, whelp!” Gangrel taunts, striking again, and Chrom yells out in pain but refuses to submit.

Robin tries to stand, but shackles ensnare her ankles, and she ends up merely jerking against her bonds. “Chrom! CHROM!”

The prince’s eyes widen and he looks at her. Gangrel slaps his cheek.

“It seems like the girlie’s awake, huh?” He gathers up the whip in his hands and ambles from Chrom’s cell, carefully stepping over Emmeryn’s body. “I wonder what sort of secrets Ylisse’s tactician holds in her pretty little head?”

Robin glares at him.

“No!” Chrom struggles against his bonds. “Don’t you fucking dare, Gangrel!”

Gangrel ignores the words and enters Robin’s cell.

“Don’t touch her!”

“He’s goading you, Chrom!” Robin snaps, but Chrom just shakes his head and jerks against his chains.

Gangrel squats to Robin’s eye level and pokes her cheek with one of his long nails. He grins.

“Milady Robin,” he mocks, eyes shining. “How should I begin your torture?”

She narrows her eyes.

Gangrel grabs a fistful of her coat. “Beautiful fabric,” he whispers. “I have wanted to burn it ever since I saw it….”

Robin shudders, and he stands to retrieve one of the wall torches from the hallway. Chrom’s eyes widen, and he starts to thrash.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” he screams. “Don’t you dare!”

Robin’s whole body shakes and she leans as far away as she can from Gangrel, but the man just holds the torch nearer and nearer to her body. The flames are so hot, even--

The bottom of her coat catches fire, and Gangrel tosses the torch away to watch with glee.

Chrom continuously starts to scream out Robin’s name, but she doesn’t register anything but the flames licking their way up her clothing. The heat immediately becomes unbearable. She doesn’t realize she’s screaming, doesn’t realize anything aside from the fire consuming her clothes and her flesh--

The torture seems to last forever, until finally someone sloshes a large bucketful of water over her.

“I had this in mind, of course,” Gangrel says to her deaf ears, over her continuous groans and screams of pain and Chrom’s calls. The king slaps at her body to put out a stubborn flame, and Robin whimpers when he hits burned flesh.

“ROBIN! Robin, are you okay?! Answer me!”

She tries to reply, but all that comes out of her mouth are cries and whimpers.

“All that bravado, gone,” Gangrel says. He hums. “Perhaps I’ll let you two think about what you’ve done, and then when I come by in the morning you’ll be more cooperative.”

()()()

“Robin? Please, Robin, talk to me.”

Her skin burns. Just moving the wrong parts of her body causes extreme pain to flood her senses.

“Robin?”

“I...I’m fine,” she croaks out at last.

“No, you’re not.” Chrom sounds like he’s crying, but if she looks to see, she’ll just hurt again even more. “You’re burned, Robin. Your side, your arm…”

Her back, part of her front, too. Most of her clothing on her left side is blackened or gone. Only a shred of clothing remains on her chest; the side of her breast is burned, as well as her arm and neck.

“I’d rather burn again than tell that man any information,” she whispers brokenly. She wonders how true her statement is.

“Robin, I won’t--”

“Chrom, if you tell Gangrel anything for my sake, I swear to the gods I’ll make you pay for it myself.”

He’s silent for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Robin. I’m so sorry.”

She closes her eyes. “Don’t be.”

“Robin…”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t get us out of here.”

“Don’t apologize! None of this is your fault. None of it. I…”

“Chrom?”

“What is it?”

She breathes in. “Can I tell you something? I’ve…”

“You can tell me anything, Robin. You know that.”

She thinks about her injuries, about the liklihood of them becoming infected in this gods-forsaken place. “...Whatever happens...I’m glad you found me.”

Robin manages to look up at Chrom and smile.

He’s bruised and bloody and crying, but he still manages to look like an awestruck fool.

He coughs. “Robin?”

“What?”

“You…” He stares straight into her eyes. “After all of this… When the two of us are finally back in Ylisstol and this war is over… Will you stay with me?”

Robin wants to correct him and say “if,” but she doesn’t have the heart to. “Of course I will, Chrom.”

()()()

“Robin? Robin, do you hear that?”

Her vision and hearing is all hazy. Her body is burning with the intensity of the sun, but she feels so, so cold. She doesn’t know how long she’s been like this. Gangrel has beaten her several times, but outside of that she has no way to tell time.

“I think I hear…” Chrom pauses. “I think I hear yelling.”

Good, she thinks. “Shepherds,” she mutters, just loud enough for Chrom to hear.

His voice rises in hope. “It’s the Shepherds, you’re right!” He pulls against his chains. “Just wait, Robin. Just wait--they’ll come find us, and we’ll get out of here and Lissa can look at--”  
The door at the top of the stairs opens, and the young guard hurries in. His face is covered with yellowing bruises.

He jams a key into Robin’s cell and opens it, then kneels beside her. “Stay still,” he orders, trying to unlock her shackles with shaky hands. Robin is too delirious to do much else.

“Why are you here?” Chrom snaps.

The boy frees Robin and drags her out into the hallway. She whimpers at the contact with her burned skin, but she can’t fight against it, nor does she have the strength to walk.

“T-the girl reminds me of my sister,” the boy stammers, shoving another key into Chrom’s cell lock. “There are Ylisseans storming the palace--looking for you--”

He frees Chrom, and the prince stumbles when he tries to walk. He’s weak, but can manage to move himself.

“I can’t carry Robin like this,” he realizes.

The boy draws out a short sword and hands it over to Chrom. “I’ll carry her u-until we find your comrades.”

He picks Robin up, only barely, and she hisses and grimaces. Chrom hurriedly pets her hair.

“Shh, it’ll be okay,” he soothes. “We’re getting out.”

Chrom leads the way out of the dungeon, and the boy directs him where to go from there. Robin just barely understands what’s going on; everything, every jostle, every breath, is pain. Tears leak out of her eyes.

So close, she thinks deliriously. Chrom and I are so close to--to…

They turn a corner, finding themselves at the edge of the main fighting. Chrom pauses, searching the soldiers for familiar faces--there’s Stahl, there’s Miriel--

A blast of electricity passes Chrom and hits the boy.

He falls, and above the sound of battle, Chrom can hear Gangrel cackling. The prince roars and turns to see the Mad King standing across the room on a balcony, a Levin sword in hand. Immediately, an arrow whizzes out and hits Gangrel in the neck. Gangrel stumbles, and falls over the railing to his death.

Chrom whirls back around. The boy lays dead, his sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Robin has fallen out of his arms and lays facedown on the floor.

“Robin!”

Chrom drops down beside her and rolls her over as gently as he can manage. Her whole body twitches and spasms. Her shaky gaze meets his.

“C-come on, Robin,” he urges, trying to pick her up, but his muscles fail him. “We’re almost--we’re almost home, back to Ylisse. We’re almost done.”

Her breathing is shallow. “Chr…”

Tears pool in his eyes, and her visage becomes blurry. “Please come back to Ylisstol with me.” He puts his bloody, sweaty hand on her cheek. “I want to marry you. I love you.”

For the first time, her dark eyes clear and shine. Her lips are dry and cracked, but she still manages to whisper: “P-please kiss me.”

Chrom chokes down a sob and puts his mouth against hers. He tries to be gentle, but his desperation makes him forceful, and Robin lets out a little whimper.

He pulls away, just a little, and then Robin gasps--

\--and her last breath brushes his lips.

 


End file.
